The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has updated its requirements for phthalates in toys to align with the phthalate limit currently in place in more than 30 countries, including the United States, Canada and member-states of the EU. India’s new limit on phthalates will now align with guidelines set forth by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which stipulates that toys and child care articles may not contain more than 0.1% of each banned phthalate.

Previously, BIS limited the amount of phthalates in toys to 0.1%; however, the limit was for the total of three phthalates (DEHP, DDP and DBP or DINP, DIDP, and DnOP) and not for each individually.

The decision was made following a series of discussions between the Toy Industry Association (TIA) and BIS, sparked at the “5th Toy Biz International” hosted by the Toy Association of India in New Delhi this past July.